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Monday, September 22, 2014

Living Church of God Sinks Further Into The Depths of Spiritual Depravity!

The Living Church of God has come out saying that it is OK for members to clap after special music Herbert is rolling in his grave right now!

Special
Music—Applause Allowed: In the past, we have discouraged applause for special music,
except for children’s performances. As per Dr. Meredith’s
direction, applause is allowed as an appropriate way to show appreciation for
special music in Sabbath and Holy Day services.Sept. 18, 2014 Weekly Update

Under the HWA regime it was a gross sin to clap after special music. No one deserved to hear applause, it only went to their heads and made them vain.

LCG continues its downward slide into apostasy by now going against Herbert Armstrong's divinely inspired teachings.

Here's what Herbert Armstreong said about clapping in church.

From the September 22, 1983 bulletin:PICTURE TAKING DURING SERVICES: You are asked not to
take any pictures during services, and especially during
Mr. Armstrong's transmission.

APPLAUSE AT THE FEAST: In past years, many members
have applauded during sermons and sermonettes at the
Feast which, all too often, became an embarrassment to
both audience and speakers. We want to alleviate this
problem by informing you of the proper approach to this
subject.

Normally, it is inappropriate to applaud. for special
music, sermonettes or sermons. However, spontaneous
applause for announcements of inspiring developments in
the Work., special intervention or miracles from God, or
a special appearance by Mr. Armstrong would be
appropriate and fitting. When we want to show our
appreciation to God for the special music or spiritual
messages we will be receiving during the Fesst [sic] of
Tabernacles, it would be more effective and appropriate
to do so by our inspired singing of hymns at services
and our private, personal prayers of thanks to God.

Therefore, PLEASEDONOT applaud
for sermonettes and sermons at the Feast.

11 comments:

Lake of Fire Church of God
said...

The date of the Bulletin, September 22, 1983, is about 7 years after I left the Worldwide Church of God. My recollection is that Herbert Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong had no problems with applause….. as long as it was directed at them when they took the podium at the Feast of Tabernacles in Mount Pocono or Jekyll Island. I suspect it was true elsewhere.

What is it about the Armstrong Churches of God and its 80 years history that even spontaneous outbursts of appreciative applauses has to be micro-managed? The dumb tithe slaves are too stupid and have to be told when to applause; what to wear to Church; how to dress, when to get a hair cut; who to date; how to discipline their children; how to have sex and what sexual positions are approved by God; how to change their wills to include the Church in order to leave whatever miniscule estate that is leftover after a life-time of tithing and contributing to the Work; etc.

I guess that is why I left in 1976 a couple years after being an Ambassador College reject (thank you, God). I have a brain, and could think for myself!

I always found this no clapping policy idiotic and nothing more than a control method. It was always frustratining watching a group of kids sing really well and then have to sit there like insensitive idiots because everyone was afraid to praise the kids.

I will never forget the time when some turd in Pasadena told all the deacons that the second HWA walked on stage they were to stand and immediately start clapping.

I never understood this policy. Clapping is a positive thing. It is the way in which a speaker, or performer obtains positive feedback, or uplift from the audience. I believe the reason most church members never questioned the policy was that they were accustomed to the church killing off just about everything positive that a person could experience.

Even the stiff upper lipped Brits clapped at various secular performances.

The semester I took Rod Meredith's church history class, he caught the flu and had to miss the better part of two weeks of class meetings. Considering that flu usually knocks people out for a week, his faith in the healing power of prayer must have been week. IIRC, the substitute teacher was Charles Dorothy. The information he gave out was just as bad, but his personality was better.

However that may be, the morning Meredith walked into class after regaining his strength, my classmates broke into applause. My memory may be faulty, but I think it was a standing ovation. I do remember clearly my own thoughts: "What the hell are they doing THAT for?" I was too gutless to boycott the applause, though.

At the end of the semester, Meredith confessed that he felt especially close to our class because of that show of appreciation. Now why would church leaders want to deny that same feeling to others?

I remember being utterly shocked that this was what was done when I first read about this at J's Shadows of WCG blog.

The cult leaders want all the adulation and attention for themselves. It is astounding to think that the cult leaders were so determined to be the sole recipient of adulation they would ban lay members from applauding people's performances. It is just disgusting.

I attended wcg hq services in Pasadena from late 1967 through early 1977. As I recall, there was no applause for ministerial speakers until after the auditorium was built. HWA had been gone on one of his long overseas trips. He walked out on stage to begin his sermon or comments and there was no applause as usual. He immediately complained about how "cold" the HQ church was and how he was made to feel more welcome by strangers on his various travels and said that it would be nice to be welcomed back with some applause of appreciation. Thereafter people in Pasadena applauded at the drop of a hat for HWA in complete contradiction to what we had done for years. In short, people did not applaud because hwa told us not to, and then people did applaud because hwa said he wanted it done. Either way it was all because of what hwa wanted.